Alberta welcomed migrant workers. Now, it wants to restrict their rights

Albertans take part in a pro-Canada Rally, at the provincial legislature ahead of a non-binding referendum on Alberta sovereignty, in Edmonton on 18 October. Photograph: Todd Korol/ReutersView image in fullscreenAlbertans take part in a pro-Canada Rally, at the provincial legislature ahead of a non-binding referendum on Alberta sovereignty, in Edmonton on 18 October.

Photograph: Todd Korol/ReutersCanadaAlberta welcomed migrant workers. Now, it wants to restrict their rights‘Scapegoating non-permanent residents is not going to lower the cost of living,’ Vanesa Ortiz says.

Quando Vanesa Ortiz chegou a Calgary vindo do México, ela se viu em uma cidade afundada no inverno. Do lado de fora do aeroporto, fazia -15°C (5°F).

Mas ela também encontrou, nesses primeiros momentos, um imenso calor. Ela foi recebida por voluntários idosos em chapéus de cowboy brancos, e Ortiz logo sentiu que Calgary era um lugar onde poderia, um dia, criar uma família.

And yet when the teacher reflects on that moment a decade ago, she worries that the opportunities she had to put down roots could be soon closed to others.

This week, Alberta held a referendum, asking residents to weigh in on the province’s relationship with Canada – and the extent to which the province should restrict some newcomers’ access to healthcare, education and social support.

Ele também perguntou sobre a necessidade de reformas constitucionais.

While unofficial results show both the separation and constitutional questions will fail, the ones on immigration are likely to succeed.

The referendum amplified the grievances of fringe separatists, but it also exposed a central tension in Alberta’s approach to immigration. Even as the oil-rich province seeks newcomers to fill shortages in the job market, the provincial government wants to limit services available to some of those same workers.

The governing United Conservative party blames the rapid population growth for overcrowded and underfunded hospitals and schools. But critics say the proposed solution – restricting access to healthcare, education and social supports – could leave workers and their families more vulnerable without fully addressing the underlying causes of the crisis.

The referendum asked if the government should introduce a law ensuring only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and “individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status” can access healthcare and education.

Outro perguntou se os recém‑chegados deveriam ter vivido em Alberta por 12 meses antes de se qualificarem para certos programas de apoio social e permitir que a província cobrasse taxas de alguns residentes temporários por serviços de saúde e educação.

No início do ano, a governadora de Alberta, Danielle Smith, culpou a política de imigração do governo liberal de Justin Trudeau pelas pressões de recursos em salas de aula, salas de emergência e sistemas de apoio social.

Read moreCanada’s federal government has since trimmed immigration targets and placed restrictions on its temporary foreign worker program amid criticisms it was being abused by large companies.

But the western province’s economy relies on workers from abroad to fill jobs in sectors, like agriculture, food services and tourism, where employers struggle to recruit or retain enough staff.

Ortiz, who works with the non-profit Asociación de Mexicanos en Calgary, worries mounting skepticism towards migrant workers will push workers into the shadows and make them more vulnerable to labor exploitation.

Ortiz tem observado mudanças nas opiniões sobre imigração nos últimos anos e afirma que os resultados do referendo refletem uma população que está “apertada” economicamente.

For some residents, the proposals represent a sharp reversal from Alberta’s earlier efforts to attract newcomers. The UCP government invested in recruitment and expanded its provincial immigration nomination targets to address labour shortages.

But as a growing number of Albertans sour on immigration, the government position has shifted.

Ximena González, a Calgary-based writer, said when the provincial government began its campaign to bring in more people, it “wanted more workers to exploit”, noting that most workers come from abroad on temporary permits.

But González argues that there is no data to back that claim.

A economista Gillian Petit observa que os residentes temporários também remitem impostos ao governo federal, o que ajuda a financiar a saúde de Alberta, significando que esses residentes provavelmente contribuem muito mais do que a província reconhece.

If they contribute less in total tax dollars than other Albertans, it is because they earn less than the median resident. They are also less likely to use healthcare and education resources than the average Albertan.

She says that media fixation on Alberta’s fringe independence movement meant the other questions in the referendum received little scrutiny and left voters uninformed.

Economist Jim Stanford said hundreds of thousands of residents skipped over those questions on immigration, choosing to only answer the one on separation.

During a series of town halls over the years led by the government, more extreme views on immigration were clear. One resident received cheers after suggesting a policy of mass deportations and another said immigrants “harm” children and suggested she might seek asylum in the US.

For Ortiz, the government’s about-face reflects a “betrayal” of the workers who have helped build the province.